Opening Remarks by H.E. Mr. Motohide Yoshikawa
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
"The Promise of Technology: Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction and Humanitarian Action"
3 December 2014

 

Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,

 

It is my great honor to deliver an opening statement today as a co-sponsor of this panel discussion held on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

I wish to extend my appreciation to my fellow co-organizers, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the Nippon Foundation.

 

I would also like to thank today's moderator of our dialogue, Mr. Hiroshi Kawamura, one of the contributors of the Digital Accessible Information System, known as DAISY.

DAISY's electronic navigation system has helped persons with disabilities to easily understand how and where to escape at the time of disaster.

 

DAISY proved to be useful during the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 where more than 15,000 people died.

 

After ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in January this year, Japan is now at the stage of the full implementation of the Convention.

Japan joined the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention as a State Party for the first time this June.

 

In my statement, I stressed 'disability and disasters' as one of three main points.

 

At a side event of the Conference, a representative from Japanese civil society underlined that persons with disabilities must be given priority in the evacuation when a disaster occurs.

 

I believe that technology such as DAISY will help those with disabilities in the event of disasters.

 

We believe that it is important to integrate the needs of persons with disabilities into our disaster policies to save their lives in disaster and also into international discussions on the matter.

 

The Government of Japan will co-host the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai—the region devastated by the 2011 Earthquake.

 

I am sure that today's discussion will provide meaningful input for the Conference as well as the post-2015 development agenda.

 

The panelists are here to discuss this year's theme—"Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology."

 

I thank all the panelists for their participation.

 

My special gratitude goes to Ms. Akiko Fukuda who came from Japan despite her very severe physical conditions.

 

Your inputs today are critical to advancing the cause of mitigating the effects of disaster on those with disabilities.

 

We would especially like to hear from you your own personal experience on this matter.

 

I thank you very much for your time and I now give the floor to Mr. Kawamura.